


all the heartache, and the treason

by Serie11



Series: Femslash February 2018 [15]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar Aloy, F/F, Spirits, aloy is still running around helping people, now its just an Official part of her job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 03:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13732386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serie11/pseuds/Serie11
Summary: The woman has dark skin and a lacy purple veil over her face. Aloy could set it on fire in an instant, and wonders why she wears such a thing when she’s constantly surrounded by hostile firebenders who could easily set her dress alight.Aloy can’t trust her.





	all the heartache, and the treason

Aloy uses a gust of wind to ease her landing as she drops from one of the high towers of Blazon Arch. The alarm hasn’t been raised yet, and she doesn’t want to alarm the guard here if she can help it, especially if it’s for something as dumb as not landing right. The hard part of sneaking into the protected tower is over, and she and her package are out safely.

The package coughs, and Aloy turns to give him a hard stare. “We have to be quiet,” she says lowly. “We can’t bend until we get down to the water, okay? No matter what happens.”

Atral nods grimly. “I know. But I’m not sure how fast I can move. After everything they did to me…” His face pales.

Aloy puts a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “I know. That’s why you shouldn’t bend at the moment. It would just use your body’s resources, and I don’t think you’d be much help right now, anyway. I’m the Avatar, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to cover you for a few minutes while you make it down to the shore, if we do get caught. But we won’t, so don’t worry. But we should start moving.” She takes a deep breath.

The path down to the lakeside is steep and Atral stumbles several times. Aloy grabs at him when he does, her eyes always searching out for danger. It probably won’t be long until the Kestrels realise that one of their prisoners have escaped, and they needed to be as far away as possible before that happened.

They turn the last corner, and Aloy sighs in relief as she sees the boat in the distance. Her relief turns to fear as she sees that someone is leaning over the boat, inspecting it. Aloy doesn’t need the boat to make it back over to the other side of the Daybrink, but there’s no way that Atral can come with her if she does.

“Get behind me,” Aloy says, voice tight. Atral’s shoulders are tense, but he nods. Aloy jumps over him, using her natural wind to let her land silently.

They manage to creep up on the woman who is standing over the boat, but as soon as Aloy is within striking range, she turns and smiles at them.

“Oh! How interesting. I didn’t expect this excitement this morning, but I’m glad that it’s happening.”

The woman has dark skin and a lacy purple veil over her face. Aloy could set it on fire in an instant, and wonders why she wears such a thing when she’s constantly surrounded by hostile firebenders who could easily set her dress alight.

Aloy can’t trust her.

“I was sad to hear the fate of this young man, but curiously it seems that fate has other plans in store for him,” the woman muses.

“We need to leave,” Aloy says, sliding into an earthbending pose. This woman might be strong, but fire does little against earth. “And we’re leaving via that boat.”

As if in warning, the bells above them in the outpost begin to toll. Aloy grits her teeth. The woman taps her chin thoughtfully, as if the bells don’t matter at all.

“I suppose I could let you leave,” she says. “But then I wouldn’t get to see if you really do pull this off. After all, the Avatar being where she shouldn’t, recusing a political prisoner…” she rubs her hands together in glee. “It makes for an exciting spectacle. Can I come with you?”

“Whatever,” Aloy says, marching past her and pushing the boat out onto the water. “Atral, get in.”

The woman and Atral hop in the boat, and Aloy sends a gust of wind into the sails. As they’re pushed further out onto the water, she changes her stance and bends the water around them to make the boat seamlessly fly through the water, gaining as much speed as possible. Aloy wants to be on the other side of the Daybrink already, but she’ll settle for being out of range of the firebenders’ fire and arrows.

The bells keep tolling behind them, and Aloy keeps bending, pushing out all the power she can. Atral is sitting at the front of the ship, his head in his hands. Aloy is worried about him, but she knows a few healers that she can call without anyone asking too many questions. One of the few perks of being the Avatar is that no one suspects that she’s been up to no good – they can’t conceive of her being anything but good.

The woman is sitting on one side of the boat, admiring Aloy’s form. “You obviously know your waterbending,” she says cheerfully. “But then again, you are the Avatar, so I don’t know why I’m surprised.”

Aloy doesn’t know who this woman is, doesn’t know why she wants to come across the Daybrink, doesn’t know if she should be helping her or not. She hopes she isn’t taking some super powerful spy warrior across who is going to try and topple the Carja empire from within. Her job is to make sure that all the tribes live together in harmony, and _that_ would just be embarrassing.

“Who are you?” Aloy finally asks, because the woman is still staring at her, and it’s beginning to weird her out.

“You can call me Vanasha,” the woman says, still smiling. Aloy has met some people who have been permanently cheerful, but they hadn’t bothered her like Vanasha did. Aloy could tell that Vanasha’s cheer is somehow fake – the emotion that Vanasha is feeling at the current moment isn’t happiness. Aloy doesn’t like people who hide what they’re really thinking.

“Why do you want to come across the Daybrink?”

“I already told you,” Vanasha tuts. “I want to see if your rescue venture turns out well. I hope it does. I assume that you have someone waiting on the other side for you?”

Aloy has always been a particularly solitary Avatar, but even she knew that she couldn’t pull this off alone. “I have someone waiting for me,” she grunts. They had just crossed into the main channel of the Daybrink, and the boat is starting to fight its forward momentum. The sun is just beginning to poke its head up above the mountains and cliffs that characterise Carja territory, and Aloy makes a face and leans into her waterbending more. Elida is waiting to take Atral onto the shore, and then Aloy’s plan is to take the boat and abandon it somewhere along the south coat. There’s little enough human activity that even if someone eventually finds the boat, there would be no way for them to link it to her and the mysterious rescue of one of Blazon Arch’s prisoners.

Of course, things had taken longer than she’d anticipated, and now the sun is rising faster than she can bend. Boats leave from Brightmarket as soon as the sun’s light touches the sky, so she’s already too late. Stubbornly, she continues to bend.

“You won’t want to have anyone see you come in with him,” Vanasha says, voice still light. “It wouldn’t be good to have you linked to political strife.”

“Oh yeah?” Aloy pants. “How do you know what I should or shouldn’t do?”

Vanasha sighs. “I’m not _that_ out of the loop. Honestly. With things the way they are between the Carja and the Shadow Carja, and with you supposedly meaning to be the neutral party at the talks in a month’s time…” She raises an eyebrow. “If you’re seen to be rescuing political prisoners, then that wouldn’t play very well into your position as a neutral party. The Shadow Carja would be well within their rights to withdraw from the talks, and the war would continue, as it has for years.”

Aloy bares her teeth at nothing. “I know that, obviously,” she says. “But what’s the other option? Stay out here for the entire day? By that time the Shadow Carja will have launched search boats on the Daybrink, and other boats from Brightmarket come out this deep into the channel. They’ll see us, won’t recognise the boat, and will come closer. Someone would probably recognise me, and then they’d see Atral in Shadow Carja armour, and assume that I was transporting a spy across the Daybrink. Then _both_ the Carja and Shadow Carja hate me, and the war probably gets worse.”

“There’s another option,” Vanasha says. “We go south, land the boat there, and continue overland. Our lovely rescuee removes all traces of his former allegiance and helps you burn the evidence. Easy as the sun rising.”

Aloy stares at her. “You realise that the southern shores are abandoned for a reason, yes?”

“Yes, yes, wild spirits that rampage at the sight of any human,” Vanasha says, waving her hand. “I would think that as the Avatar, you have some control over them.”

“That’s not really how things work,” Aloy says, frustrated. “The southern shores have been spirit only territory for hundreds of years. I was going to dump the boat there and then come straight back out to sea without setting foot on land. It’s just not something that’s done.”

“We don’t have to go very far south, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Vanasha says. “I know a little secret trail that we can use, that cuts across the border of half a dozen different territories. If we can just get through one without being spotted, then we’re all good from there. Or if we do get spotted, you work some Avatar magic, and we get through unharmed anyway.”

“We’re all going to die,” Aloy argues.

“Do it,” Atral says, weary. He hasn’t moved since he got into the boat. “Vanasha is right. We can’t go into Brightmarket now, and we can’t wait out here. The southern shores are our only option.”

“We’re all going to die,” Aloy repeats, but she’s turning their boat south. She wants as big a margin as she can get so they can avoid all boats coming from either side of the Daybrink.

It takes another hour to reach the shore, probably about the same amount of time that it would have taken to reach Brightmarket. The sun is a finger’s width above the mountains and Aloy sighs as she admits to herself that this is the only plan that has a fraction of a chance worth working. She’s usually fairly good with spirits so she just hopes that they don’t encounter anyone too contrary or eager to taste human flesh.

Vanasha helps Atral out of the boat, and Aloy drags it further up onto the shore. She looks around. They’re at a mouth of a river, and the river twines further up into the land, trees overhanging it. The forest grows thicker with each step taken away from the water. Aloy wishes that they could just wait here for nightfall, but that’s just the same as signing their lives away. Spirit forests are transitionary things, and if you don’t move with them, they’ll move against you.

“See that ridge?” Vanasha asks, pointing to it. “If we can get to it, there’s a small path that we can follow. It goes around the borders of all the spirits here.”

“How do you know this?” Aloy asks, taking a step forward to lead Vanasha towards the ridge.

“I deal in information,” Vanasha says lightly. “This used to be used as a smuggling route, before the spirit at the end set up shop here. Hopefully we won’t run into them.”

“Oh, we will,” Aloy says. “Spirits know everything that goes on in their territory. It just depends on whether or not we’re interesting enough for them to bother with us.”

_Indeed you are._

Aloy stops.

“What?” Vanasha asks. Her voice is the most tense that Aloy’s heard so far.

“Didn’t you hear that?” Aloy asks, voice low.

_As if I would deign to have a pure human hear my voice._

Aloy looks around for the source of the voice, but there isn’t any sign of a spirit nearby.

“We simply wish to pass through,” Aloy says, as respectfully as she can.

_Oh? In the olden days, my kind were more respected. I can see that you haven’t brought an offering._

Aloy digs through her repository of spirit knowledge. Their _kind._ That meant that this spirit belongs to a category of spirits, and it sounds like this one hasn’t been very active in the last few generations of Avatars.

“My apologies,” Aloy says. “Can I substitute the offering with anything I have right now?”

_The two humans. Give them to me, and I will let you pass._

The voice is amused, as if it already knows that giving Vanasha and Atral to it isn’t an option.

“That isn’t acceptable,” Aloy says. “What is the normal offering?”

_Light. I love light, but see so little of it now. They used to bring candles and lanterns that would distract me while the humans moved through my domain._

Aloy’s brain goes into overdrive. “I may have something for you,” she says cautiously. “Will you accept an offering and allow us to pass?”

_If it pleases me._

Well. That’s not exactly reassuring, but Aloy knows that fighting spirits is always the best way to land in a giant pile of shit, so she’s going to not do that if she can. She’s wearing the armour that she crafted herself, and it’s easy enough to strip it off and fiddle with the wiring so that the battery stays on. The lights that denote the armour’s protection ripple over the fabric every few seconds. Aloy hates to leave it, but their lives are more important than one piece of armour.

“It may not be traditional, but these lights will never go out,” Aloy promises.

_Fascinating. I suppose, that in return for such a gift, you may pass. As long as you do so quickly._

“Thank you, spirit,” Aloy says. She backs away from the armour and leads Vanasha and Atral away from the site, wearing nothing but her underwear. “We should hurry.”

“We’re headed in the right direction,” Vanasha says. “Was that armour expensive?”

“Priceless,” Aloy admits. “But I didn’t value it over your lives.”

They hiked up to the ridge, where Vanasha finds a path. Aloy leads them along it, straining her Avatar senses for any more spirits. She feels the boundaries of several territories, but no other spirits bother them.

They come out of the forest and Atral strips off his armour as soon as he can. Aloy helps him melt it into a pile of slag.

“Well, the rumours that will be started off this,” Vanasha chuckles. “Me, coming into Brightmarket with a nearly naked man and a nearly naked Avatar.”

Aloy half-heartedly glares at her from the corner of her eye. “Yeah well, I doubt that anyone’s going to recognise me like this.”

“Don’t doubt yourself,” Vanasha chides. “You are far more recognisable than you think. Now, the day is wasting, we should head to Brightmarket to meet whoever was going to meet you at the docks. I’m sure that they’re out of their mind with worry.”

Aloy thinks of Elida’s strained face, and doesn’t disagree.

Thankfully, they don’t run into anyone before they get to Brightmarket. The three of them crouch behind a bush as they try to see the best way to get into the city.

“I’ll just go up around to the cliffs and then airbend myself down to the house,” Aloy argues. “Then Elida can give me some clothes and we can come out here with some more clothes, and Elida and Atral can go back inside and no one has to know that I’m even here.”

“Let me go,” Vanasha says. “I’m the only one with clothes on, and the only one who won’t make a scene.”

“I won’t make a scene,” Aloy says, frowning. Vanasha raises an eyebrow. Aloy hates that it makes her stomach flip over. “Look, I’ll just go. Atral, wait here, okay?”

Atral nods, and Aloy flips herself into the air. She was raised an airbender, and it’s still her most natural element. It’s easy to get around to the cliffs behind Brightmarket and then fall softly down into Elida’s garden, where she hides behind a garden bed.

Aloy counts her lucky stars when she sees Elida by the house wall, staring across the city towards the docks mournfully.

“Elida!” Aloy hisses. The young woman jumps, looking around wildly. Aloy waves her over, and Elida scurries to her side so quickly that she almost trips over her own feet.

“Did you rescue him?” she asks, tears in her eyes.

“Yes, but he doesn’t have any extra clothes, so I need you to bring something that will fit me and him and meet me outside Brightmarket,” Aloy instructs hurriedly. “Then I’ll leave directly from there, and fly to Meridian and be visible, so no one can have much evidence that I was involved in this. Got it?”

Aloy gives Elida directions to where Vanasha and Atral are hiding, and then climbs back up the cliff with a little earthbending. By the time she makes it back to the others, Elida is already there and Atral is already dressed.

“Oh Aloy, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you,” Elida says happily, throwing her arms around her. Aloy hugs her back tightly.

“Just make sure that no one finds out about this,” Aloy warns. “You’ve already got the cover story prepared, right?”

Elida nods. Atral looks worried. “I’ll tell you soon,” Elida says, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

“As long as we’re together, nothing can really go wrong,” Atral says, voice husky.

“Go,” Aloy says, shooing them off. “And get your wounds seen to!”

Elida gives her some clothes, and Aloy pulls them on as fast as she can, not sure how she feels about Vanasha staring at her, or the fact that they’re alone now. The other woman is a mystery, and Aloy usually likes mysteries.

“You’ve impressed me,” Vanasha says, as Aloy is doing up her shirt. Aloy looks up slowly.

“Thanks?”

Vanasha cocks an eyebrow. “Not many people impress me, you know. You risked a lot, but the payoff was worth it. That’s what life is about, you know. Knowing what to risk and when to risk it. Evaluating what you’re willing to give up, and what you’re willing to fight tooth and nail for. I can tell that you’ve made those types of decisions in the past.”

“Then you’d know that the chips didn’t always fall in my favour,” Aloy says cautiously.

Vanasha throws back her head and laughs. “Oh, of course not, darling. No one can win all the time. But you’re still standing here, and you’re still helping people as best you can. I’d say, that whatever you lost, wasn’t enough to cripple you. Loss is necessary – without it we would take risks that are too big.” Vanasha’s eyes shine. “You look like a risk that I’m more than willing to take.”

Aloy stares at her. “Really.”

“Really,” Vanasha purrs. “You’re headed to Meridian now, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Aloy says, because it’s true.

“Let me come with you,” Vanasha offers. “I’m sure that I have more to learn about you, and that you have more to learn about me.”

“I don’t know anything about you,” Aloy feels the need to point out.

“Exactly,” Vanasha says triumphantly. “And won’t it be fun to find out?”

There’s something strange about Vanasha. Aloy isn’t sure how to feel about her, but since they met less than twelve hours ago, she feels like that’s a fair opinion to hold. But Vanasha’s glittering eyes and raised eyebrow make Aloy’s gut do weird things, and she’s not sure that she hates it.

“Fine,” Aloy finally says. “But if you can’t keep up, then I’m ditching you. I have to be in Meridian as fast as I can.”

“That’s fine,” Vanasha says. Aloy can see her mouth curl with victory. “Trust me, I won’t make you wait.”

Aloy shivers. Something about the way she says it makes her think that Vanasha isn’t bluffing. Aloy shakes her head, and meets Vanasha’s smile with one of her own.

“Looking forward to it.”


End file.
